Road Transport and Highways Minister C P Joshi today said there is a need to streamline the land acquisition process in order to fast-track road projects by NHAI and state agencies.

The Minister said this while reviewing the status of land acquisition for National Highways Development Project and also other road construction programmes.

"Expressing concern over slow progress of land acquisition for the National Highway Projects to be executed in 2013-14, he said that state governments also need to take necessary initiatives in order to accelerate the process of land acquisition for NH projects, especially in view of the conditions imposed under EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) projects," an official statement said.

EPC projects stipulate 90 per cent land availability on the date of award of the project.

The Minister was of the view that the proposals for declaration of National Highways require due diligence on part of the State Governments, the state said.

"The state government should ensure that the encumbrance free land is provided at the time of submission of the proposal of declaration of National Highways," the statement quoted Joshi as saying.

PTI